Call-answering meter for cord-circuits.



CALL ANSWERING METER EOR CORD CIRCUITS. APPLICATION F|1EDMAY18,1914.-

1 ,246,362. Patented-11011.13, 1917.

UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE.

:RICHARD I. UTTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO KELLOGG SWITCHBOARD V`&

SUPPLY` COMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION v0F ILLINOIS. l i

Specication of Letters Patent.

CALL-ANSWERING METER IfOR CORD-CIRCUITS.

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

.Application led May 18, 1914. Serial No. 839,196.

To aZZ 'whom it may concern: y

Be it known that I, RICHARD I. UTTER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county ot Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Call-Answering Meters for Cord-Circuits, of which the following is a specification.

M v invention relates to cord circuits for telephone systems equipped with measuring apparatus, and relates more particularly to the provision of cord circuits of this character having a call registering meter associated therewith. Y Y

My invention contemplates 4in its preferred form the use of a meter andthe provision ol' circuit arrangements of such character that a call is registered upon' the meter whenever the answering plug of the cord circuit is inserted in a jack provided however that the telephone receiver of the connected line has been removed from its hook I will explain one form which my inven-v tion may take more in detail by referring to the accompanying drawing illustrating a system diagrammatically. i

In this drawing I show two substations A and B united respectively by conductors i Y 1 and 2 with a central station C. The subscribers lines terminate at the central station in apparatus consisting of the line relay 3 for controlling the lamp 4 and the cut 0E relayL 5, together with the jacks 6. The operation of this apparatus is well understood by those skilled in the art and it is thought needs no further description.

At the central station I have provided a cord circuit, there being butone illustrated as typical, whichcord vcircuit has the-answering plug 7 and the calling plug 8 united by tip and sleeve strands' 9 and 10 respectively.v Thecord circuit is provided withl the customary ringing key 11 and listening key 12 associated with the operators set 13. There is provided at each extremity of the Y ground.y

cord circuit a ysleeve relay respectivelythe answering sleeve relay 14 and the calling sleeve relay 15. Also there is the answering .supervisory relay 16 and the callingv super-v visory relay 1T controlling respectively the circuit through the supervisory lampsvlS and 19. I further provide. with each cord circuita slow release relay 2O which as will presently appear controls the operations of a meter or counter 21. This meter `is directly actuated by the magnet 22, which magnet is controlled by the slow release relay 23, the slow release relay in turn being connected to the armature 24 of the relay 20. f

conductor 27, back con-k armature 31 and its front contact 32. Thus t a further circuit is establshed thereupon which may be traced from the ground at 33, slow release relay 23, armature24, front contact 34,.conductor 35, contactV 32 arma-` ture 31, conductor 36, back contact 37, ar- ,v

`mature 38, of the relay l5, conductor 39, re-

lay 14, battery 40, to ground at 41, thus energizing the sleeve relay 14Aand causing it to attract its armatures 42 and 43. Y,

It will of course be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that while more than one battery is shown, yet that is only for illustrative purposes as one battery may answer. The armature 43 controls the circuit leading to the supervisory lamp 18 as well understood. Circuit is thus established through the slow release relay 23, which thereupon actuates the magnet 22 to' register a call upon the counter 21.` The attraction of the armature 42 breaks the circuit through` .the plug is inserted provided the receiver` relay C 8 is in a iack, thus disconnecting,absolutely ithejack, is prevented by the release ofthe armature 31 of the relay "i6, which occurs f; the lmoment the talking circuit at the-substation A is broken, and whichalways pre- .f` rycedes the removal or the plug i.

he purpose of carrying the circuit of the relay 23 Athrough the csntacts 37 and 38 is to prevent 4objectlonable clicks in the circuits of other cords of the sainepositicn. n l

lt will be noted that the circuit to the Q3 is broken whenever the calling .plug

any common apparatus of a position from the cord circuit.

From what has been described the nature vof my invention will be clear to those skilled in the art, and it will also be clear that modivfications may readily be made without de parting from the spirit of my invention.

Having however thus described one form which my invention may take, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patvent is:

l. A system of the character described comprising'a subscribers line, a two-conductor cord circuit adapted for association therewith, a meter for said cord circuit, automatic means controlled by the `insertion *of the answering plug of said cord circuit into a jack of said line and-controlled by they` `operativecondition .of the subscribers line 1 to actuate said ineter'andineans .for preventing further operations of said meter while said plug and Jack are connected.

2. Asystem of the character described f comprising a subscribers line, a-cordA circuit adapted for association therewith, a meter for saidicoid circuit,vineans controlled byl the vinsertion offra plug in a jack and con- Vtrolled by the operative condition .of the subscribers line to actuate said meter, and means associated with said cord circuit and controlling said first aforesaid means to prevent objectionable clicks between cord cirf cuits of the same operators position.

3. A system of the character described comprising a subscribers telephone line, a cord circuit, a meter associated with said cord circuit, an answering end relay con- -trolled by the insertion of the plug in the V`iack for controlling said meter, and an answering supervisory relay controlledby the condition of theV subscribers line to likewise control safidmeter conjointly with said first `aforesaid-relay, said meter being actuated when said relays are in their operative condition. y

4. A system of the character described Vcomprising a subscribers telephone line, a

cord circuit, a meter associated with said cord circuit, a slow release relay adapted to bel energized momentarily responsive to Athe insertion of the plug in the jackfor controlling saidfmeterpand a relay controlled by the condition of the subscribers line to likewise control saidimeter conjointly with said Vi'irstaforesaid relay, said meter beingactuated when said relays are in their :operative 1 condition.

` 5. A system yof*the-lcharacter described comprisinga subscribers `telephone line, a

icord circuit, ameter associated with said cord circuit, aV sloivrelease relay controlled by the insertion of the plug in .thee )ack for controlling said meter, a relay controlled `.by the condition vof the subscribers lineL to v"likewise control said meter ycongointly with saidlirst aforesaidrelay, said meter being` actuated when said'relays are vin their opera- `tivefconditiom-and a self-locking relay operable upon actuationofsaid two `tirstfaforcsaid relays to cause the denergization of Vsaid first aforesaid relay.

6. A system` of the character described comprising a subscribers vtelephone line, a

cord circuit, a meter associated with said cord circuit, arslow release relay. controlled by theI insertion of the vplug :in .the fja ck1 for controlling saidmeter, a relay control-led by the condition of the subscribers line to likewise control .said meter conjointly'with said yfirst aforesaid relay, said meter being actuv'ated' when said relays are in their operative conditiomanda self-locking relay operable Viupon actuation. of said two vfirst aforesaid relays .to cause. theffdenergizationof said first aforesaid relay, and to connect a source y of current with said cord circuit.

i7. A `system yof the character described comprising a subscribers telephone line, a

`cord circuit, a vmeter associated with said cord circuit, a slow release relay control-led by the insertion of the plug in the jack for controllingsaid meter, a relay controlled by the condition .of the subscribers line to likewise control. said vmeter conjointly `with said first aforesaid relay, said meter beingactuated when said relays are in: their operative condition7 aself-locking relay operable upon actuation of said two i'irst aforesaid relays to cause the denergization of said firstaforesaid relay, and to connect ,a source ofcurrentwith said cord circuit, and'means controlled vby a called subscribers line to render the meter circuit inoperative.

V8. A -telephone system comprising a. cailling subsciibers line, a link circuit-for connection thereto, a` meter for saidlink Ycircuit adapted to bef operated each time that said link circuit is used to establish a connection, automatic means responsive to the connection of said link circuit to said calling line for causing the operation of said meter and for preventing further operations of said meter.

9. In a telephone system, the combination of a link circuit and a pair of connected telephone lines, a meter associated with said link circuit and common to said lines, and means comprising subscriber and operator control means for operating said meter and for preventing further operation of said meter, said means being independent of the control of the called subscriber.

10. In a telephone system, the combination of a calling subscribers line and a twoconductor link circuit, apair of answering supervisory relays for said link circuit, means for controlling one of said supervisory relays over said subscribers line, a meter control device, and a circuit for said meter control device including contacts of said supervisory relays.

11. A telephone system including subscribers telephone lines, a link circuit for connection to said lines, a pair of answering supervisory relays for said link circuit, a meter for registering the connections of said link circuit to said lines, and a circuit for said meter including contacts of said answering supervisory relays.

12. A telephone system comprising a subscribers line, a plurality of link circuits adapted for association therewith, a meter control magnet associated with said link circuits, multiple connections from said control magnet to said link circuits, automatic means controlled by the connection of one ot said link circuits to one of said lines for closing a circuit through one of said multiple connections, and means responsive to the connection of said link circuit to another line for opening said circuit.

13. A telephone system comprising a calling subscribers line, a plurality of link circuits adapted to be connected thereto, a meter control device associated with said link circuits and having multiple connections thereto, and automatic means responsive to the connection of the plug of one of said link circuits to the jack of said line to close a circuit through one of said multiple co-nnections to actuate said meter control device.

14. A telephone system comprising a calling subscribers line, a cord circuit adapted to be connected thereto, a meter for said cord circuit, automatic means responsive to the insertion ot' the answering plug of said cord circuit into a jack of said line and controlled over said subscribers line to actuate said meter, and means for preventing a further operation of said meter until the said plug and jack are disconnected.

15. A telephone system including a subscribers telephone line, a cord circuit for connection to said telephone line provided with a pair of answering supervisory relays and a calling supervisory relay, a meter for said link circuit, and a circuit for said meter including contacts of said supervisory relays.

16. In a telephoneV system the combination of a subscribers line and a link circuit, of a pair of supervisory'relays for said link circuit, an auxiliary relay adapted to be m0- mentarily energized, a meter for said link circuit, and a circuit for said meter including contacts of said relays.

17. A telephone system including subscribers telephone lines, link circuits for connection to said lines, a meter common to said link circuits, a pair of answering supervisory relays for each ot' said link circuits, and circuits for said meter controlled by the said answering supervisory relays.

18. A telephone system including calling subscribers telephone lines, a plurality of link circuits for connection'to said lines, a pair of supervisory relays 'for each of said link circuits, a meter common to said link circuits, and means controlled by the supervisory relays of any of said link circuits for operating said meter. i

19. A telephone system including operators link circuits, a meter common to said link circuits, a pair of supervisory relays for each of said link circuits, and a relay controlled by any one of said pairs of supervisory relays for operating said meter.

20. In a telephone system, the combination with a plurality of link circuits, of a meter common to said link circuits, a pair of relays for each of said link circuits, and circuits for said meter including contacts of said relays.

Signed by me at Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, in the presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD I. UTTER. Witnesses:

B. OBRIEN,

M. R. Rooi-gironi).

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

